Just for fun

Literacy Links – Volume 77

Just for fun, literacy links, online learning, writing
Couldn’t get my hands on a Starbucks notebook tumbler (because: quarantine), so a notebook tee will have to do!

It is officially back to school season–my favorite time of year! It sure is different and full of new obstacles, but one thing I know for sure is that elementary teachers everywhere are bringing their all like they always do. I’m in awe of what my colleagues and others did from March to June, and I have NO DOUBT that they will continue to bring it this year. I ❤ teachers.

Here is another summer roundup of literacy links if you’re looking for some quick inspiration, tips, and refreshment:

Literacy Links – Volume 73 (Last for 2019-2020 year)

book list, Harry Potter, Just for fun, literacy links, poetry, professional resources, summer, writing
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Dear teaching,

From the moment
I wrote on Mrs. Francescutti’s chalkboard during student teaching

and gave fourth graders
word search advice
in an evergreen Lake Forest Park classroom,

I knew one thing was real:

I fell in love with you.

A love so deep I gave you my all–

From my creativity and money

To my loneliness and energy.

As a twenty-something

deeply in love with you,
I never saw the endless standards,
stacks of papers to grade,
or hours of lost sleep.
I only saw students

at the beginnings of their journeys.

And so I learned.

I read books cover to cover
and observed countless classrooms,
growing my pedagogy with
each page,

each visit.

You demanded everything.

I gave you my heart

because you yielded so much more.

I taught through the fatigue and hurt

Not because problem-solving called me
But because YOU called me.
I do everything for YOU.
Because that’s what you do
when someone makes you feel as

alive as you’ve made me feel.

You gave me my be-the-change-you-wish-to-see dream,

and I’ll always love you for it.

But this year’s crisis challenged me to my core.

These past three months I gave you more than I actually have.
I think my heart can take the pounding.
I think my mind can handle the grind.
But I’m so, so tired and so, so worried.

And that is going to have to be OK.

It’s so unlike me, but I’m ready for this year to end.

Let’s savor every moment we have left together —
The good and the hard.
We’ve given each other

All that we have.

And we both know, no matter what the summer and fall bring…

I’ll always be the teacher
Wearing the silly costumes,
Surrounded by books,
With a clipboard, pen, and notebook nearby
Happily reading and writing

Page after page after page.

Love you always,

Ms. Vigna

(my copycat poem of “Dear Basketball” by Kobe Bryant)

Here is the LAST official roundup of literacy links for the 2019-2020 year if you’re looking for some quick inspiration, tips, and refreshment:

 

Literacy Links – Volume 72

Just for fun, literacy links

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Our Center School Summer Reading Flipgrid (email me if you need the password; it’s only available to Center students and families) is POPPIN’! 94 book talks with 1,447 views already, and it’s only day 3 of students posting! My favorite part is that cardinal readers have introduced several books to me that I recorded on MY Books to Read list, so I can only imagine how many books are being added to summer reading journals all over Longmeadow! I can’t wait to read as many as I can this summer!

I’m sure I’ll post a few times over the summer, but next week’s Literacy Links will be the last one for a while. I’ve got something special planned…

Here is this week’s roundup of literacy links for some quick inspiration, tips, and refreshment:

Literacy Links – Volume 42

Just for fun, literacy links, writing

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I’m devoting a lot of my thinking and attention to writing this year. How can I support students’ independence in writing? How can I encourage their transfer of skills from one unit to the next? How can I improve their awareness of themselves as writers? Reflection is a tool that I turn to again and again in my writing instruction. I want students to think “I’m here. This is where I need to be. This is how I will get there.” If they can navigate that metacognitive process independently, then I have no doubt that they will improve as writers.

Here is this week’s roundup of literacy links for some quick inspiration, tips, and refreshment:

Reading Poster Unit

creating, Just for fun, literacy, quotes, reading, writing

One of my mantras as a teacher is, “If the students can do/make/think it, they should.” So when we realized our schools’ walls could use some spiffing up, we decided to turn over the decor transformation to the students! Since this is “The Year of the Reader,” what could be better than some inspirational reading quote posters?!

Together with the librarian, I’ve created a short unit plan that could be done at any time of the year.

Day 1

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Illustrator Source: unknown
Text Source: Neil Gaiman for The Guardian

The first day of the unit will be used to inspire students and give them a chance to explore and pick an inspirational quote about reading. We’ll kick off by showcasing some inspirational quotes found online and in quote books for kids.Some questions to discuss: Why do people like inspirational quotes? How can inspirational quotes be important?With this being “The Year of the Reader,” we’ll veer towards quotes focused on reading:

Students will record quote contenders on their Reading Quote Poster Planning Sheet.

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By the end of the lesson, they will circle or star the reading quote that they want to use for their poster!

Day 2

To help students realize the impact of good graphic design, we’ll share simple fundamentals of graphic design and analyze inspirational quote examples to discuss what we notice about the designs, such as fonts, layout, spacing, alignment, flourishes, and more. They’ll jot or sketch ideas on their Reading Quote Poster Planning Sheet that they may incorporate into their drafts the following day.

Day 3

This will be production day! First, they’ll sketch out their ideas on 8.5×11″ paper in pencil. Once they’re happy with their designs, they’ll go over the design in black ink. Finally, they’ll erase any of their pencil marks to end up with their final draft!

Day 4 – Optional

The final session will be a day of celebration! It’ll begin with a silent gallery walk of students’ designs. They’ll observe each design and leave a compliment on a sheet underneath for the designer to keep. All of the designs can be bound in a simple book, put on display, and catalogued in the library. If desired, students can also use this time to vote for their favorite designs. The top three designs from each class can be enlarged and posted throughout the school. During the very final portion of the lesson, students should complete a reflection about the whole process.

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Possible Extensions or Adaptations

  • Book talk and/or read aloud picture books about imagination or art.
  • Create bookmarks instead of posters.
  • Instead of having students choose a quote about reading, they can find a particularly meaningful quote from a favorite book that they read during the year. They can use some of the same graphic design elements in their designs, but they can also print it on a page FROM a book:

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Any of these quote projects would be SUCH a great keepsake to celebrate the Year of the Reader!

How to Host a Book Tasting

Just for fun, literacy, Ms. Vigna's faves, reading

Do you want to host a book tasting? It’s a great activity to introduce new books or genres to students, in which students spend a few minutes browsing an individual book to get a “taste” of it before deciding if they want to read it. To make the event even more appealing, I’ve created a BOOK TASTING KIT that you can borrow from me anytime! The kit comes in a picnic basket,

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and it includes all of these supplies:

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With these supplies, you can transform your room into a restaurant: tablecloths, placemats, fake flowers, “candle” light, jazzy music, chef or waiter costume, etc. And who doesn’t love a costume?! Actually, I know of plenty of people who don’t, so the costume part is entirely optional. 🙂

Here’s a video that Ms. Fritz and I made to help you understand what a book tasting is:

After getting a taste of some books, students will hopefully have books that they want to read. They can record their favorites from the book tasting on a bookmark,

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menu,

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“Books to Read” list in your 2nd or 3rd grade Reader’s Notebook,

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or your 4th or 5th grade Reader’s Notebook.

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I’m hoping to have CSS film an actual book tasting to give you the real flavor of the event! In the meantime, borrow my Book Tasting Kit to host this event in your room soon!

Happy reading!

Quote Creators

Just for fun, language study, professional resources, reading, vocabulary, writing

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I love finding inspiring quotes in the books I’m reading! In fact, my students have a whole section of their reading notebooks devoted to quote collecting. It’s impactful work because it encourages:

  • “reading like a writer.” Being aware of how words are composed influences and excites us as writers. I want my writing to have the same kind of impact!
  • vocabulary acquisition. Often, my favorite quotes have some unusual, inspiring word choice. The conversations we’ve had in class while dissecting the nuanced meaning of words in quotes have been some of my most powerful teaching moments.
  • reading an author’s body of work. I know that Sharon Creech will always have some stimulating nuggets. She has such a gift with words!

Three FREE websites I’ve found and used to turn quotes from students’ readings into something you’d find on Etsy are Recite.com, Quotescover.com, and Quozio.com. You can choose different styles, colors, and fonts! Have fun playing around, and happy reading!

Bloomsbury’s Harry Potter

Harry Potter, Just for fun

hp illustrated editions

It’s hard to believe that EIGHT publishers turned down J.K. Rowling’s draft of the first book in the series. If it wasn’t for Bloomsbury Publishing we might not be the Potterheads we are! I was exploring the Bloomsbury website, trying to find out when the illustrated editions of the series are going to be released (October 6, 2015 for Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone–pre-order your copy today!), and I found some fun links! We’ve already been sorted into our houses, but we don’t have Harry Potter names yet. Go to the Harry Potter Name Generator to find out what you’d be called at Hogwarts! I’m Violet Vector. Feel free to comment on this post with your new name (get permission first!). Check out the other fun stuff on Bloomsbury’s Harry Potter site if you’re interested!

Happy reading!